UNIT 11

BREVITY

• (n) shortness
• Synonyms- terseness, pithiness
• Antonyms- verbosity, long-windedness, prolixity
• Leisel had a brevity of breath as she ran away from the apple farm.

COMPORT

• (v) to conduct or bear oneself, behave, to be in agreement
• Synonyms- agree, concur
• Leisel comported with Hans about the Nazi's and them being bad people.

CONCISE

• (adj.) expressing much in few words
• Synonyms- brief, succinct, terse, pithy, to the point
• Antonyms- wordy, verbose, long-winded, prolix
• Max says everything to Leisel in a concise wording to keep it short.

DEMURE

• (adj.) sober or serious in manner, modest
• Synonyms- shy, sedate, seemly, decorous
• Antonyms- forward, assertive, immodest
• Mrs. Huberman wants Leisel to be a demure young woman and have respect for herself.

DEPRECITATION

• (n) a lessening in value; a belittling
• Synonyms- cheapening, lowering
• Antonyms- increase, appreciation, enhancement
• The coin in Nazi Germany in the time of the book theif was depreciation for the Jews.

DETERIORATE

• (v) to lower in quality or value, to wear away
• Synonyms- worsen, decline, degenerate, debase
• Antonyms- fix up, enhance
• Max feels deteriorated since he is a Jewish man in Nazi Germany and he feels very powerless.

DIVULGE

• (v) to tell, reveal, to make public
• Synonyms- disclose, impart, spill the beans, "leak"
• Antonyms- hide, conceal, cover up, secrete, keep under wraps
• Hitler divulged to the public that he didn't like Jews like Max.

ENLIGHTENED

• (adj.) free from ignorance and false ideas, possessing sound understanding
• Synonyms- knowing, aware, cultivated
• Antonyms- ignorant, unaware, untaught, benighted
• Leisel is told about the enlightened Frau Humberman who is very good at keeping kids updated.

FORESTALL

• (v) to prevent by acting fisrt
• Synonyms- hinder, thwart, preclude, ward off
• Antonyms- welcome, accept, allow, submit, abide by
• Hans forestalled Max being taken by letting him stay in the basement.

GARBLE

• (v) to distort in such a way as to make unintelligable
• Synonyms- jumble, confuse, misrepresent
• Antonyms- elucidate, articulate
• In school Leisel eyes garbledd the words on the page and she was unable to read.

PROPONENT

• (n) one who puts forward a proposal; one who supports a cause or belief
• Synonyms- supporter, advocate, expontent
• Antonyms- opponent, critic, foe, adversary
• People that join the Nazi party support Hitler in his plan to destroy the Jewish population.

QUAVER

• (v) to shake, tremble, to trill
• Synonyms- vibrate, shiver, quake, palpitate
• Max was quavering when he was on the train because he was Jewish and he was wandering in Nazi Germany.

RECOIL

• (v) to spring back, shrink
• (n) the act of springing back
• Synonyms- flinch, kickback
• Antonyms- advance, proceed, gain ground
• When Hans was fighting in France his gun that he shot had recoil and it pushed him back.

RECOUP

• (v) to make up for, regain
• Synonyms- recover, retreive
• Antonyms- lose, default, forfeit, kiss good-bye
• Leisel recouped her hunger by stealing the apples and eating all of them with Rudy.

REEK

• (n) an unpleasant smell
• (v) to give off unpleasant smells; to give a strong impression
• Synonyms- stench, stink, smell
• Antonyms- perfume, fragrance, bouquet
• Max was reeking of sweat since he was in the basement of the Huberman's house.

RELENTLESS

• (adj.) unyielding, harsh, without pity
• Synonyms- stern, merciless, persistent
• Antonyms- merciful, accommodating, indulgent
• Leisel and Rudy were relentless when they made ice to steal the food form the boy on the bike.

RIVULET

• (n) a small stream
• Synonyms- creek, rill
• Leisel and Rudy were swimming in a rivulet but then Leisel fell in and couldn't swim.

SQUANDER

• (v) to spend foolishly, waste
• Synonyms- misspend, dissipate
• Antonyms- save, economize, hoard, squirrel away
• Leisel and Rudy spend their coin squanderly when they go and buy the candy.

STACCATO

• (adj.) detached or disconnected in sound or style
• Synonyms- abrupt
• Antonyms- continous, flowinh
• Leisel mother staccato from her when she gave her to the Huberman's.

STATUTE

• (n) a law
• Synonyms- rule, enactment
• Hitler has many rules that limit what Jews can do such as Max.